Messerschmitt Me 410
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The Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse ("Hornet") was a Luftwaffe heavy fighter and Schnellbomber of World War II developed from the badly flawed Me 210. Essentially a straightforward development of that type, the 210 had garnered such a bad reputation that it was renamed the Me 410 to avoid disdain.
The Me 210C models produced in Hungary were so much better than the previous marks in German service that there was talk of producing a 210D in Germany which would have been identical to the Hungarian version. However by this time a complete detail redesign the plane resulted in the "new" Me 410. The new version included a lengthened fuselage and new leading-edge slats, both of which had been tested on leftover 210s and had dramatically improved handling. It also included 1,750 hp (1.287 kW) DB603A engines, whose performance increased up to 1,850 hp at higher altitude. These drove the Me 410 to 390 mph (628 km/h) and greatly improved climb rates, service ceiling, and most notably the cruise speed which jumped to 360 mph (579 km/h) even though the new design added 1,500 lb (680 kg) to the original. Shackles under the wings for four 50 kg bombs were also added, as the new plane could lift a load larger than could be fitted into the internal bay.
The 410 was the plane that the 210 should have been, and finally started deliveries in mid 1943, over two years later than the original plan. When it arrived it was liked by its crews, even though its improved performance was no longer enough to protect it from the swarms of high performance Allied fighters they faced.
The Me 410 night bomber proved to be an elusive target for the RAF night fighters. The first unit to operate over the UK was V./KG 2, which had its first casualty in Me 410 on the night of 13-14 July 1943, shot down by a de Havilland Mosquito.
The 410's operational record as a 'bomber destroyer' was moderately successful unless Allied fighters engaged to Me 410 in air combat. Even the improved 410 was no match in dogfight for a modern single-engine fighter such as the P-51 or the P-47. In early 1944 Me-410 units were frequently decimated by the swarms of Allied fighters protecting the bomber streams.For example,in May 1944 II./ZG76 were jumped by 20 P-51s and 12 Me 410 were lost.
From the summer of 1944, the destroyers were taken from front line duties and production was phased out in favor of single-engine fighters, with the 410's remaining in service flying on reconnaissance duties only. Some Me 410s were used together with Ju 188s during the battle of Normandy for high-altitude night reconnaissance missions.
The basic A-series planes were armed with two 7.92 mm MG 17 and two 20 mm MG 151/20 in the nose and delivered as the Me 410A-1 light bomber and the Me 410A-2 heavy fighter, the only real difference being the removal of the Stuvi bombsight and external bomb shackles in the A-2 version. The Me 410A featured a bomb bay for carrying air-to-ground ordnance or for the installation of additional air-to-air weaponry or other equipment. Initially, three Umrüst-Bausätze (conversion kits) were available, U1 contained a palette of cameras for the photo-reconnaissance role, U2 two 20mm MG 151/20 cannon with 250 rounds each for the heavy fighter use, and U4 used the 50 mm BK5 cannon with 21 rounds to turn the aircraft into a dedicated bomber destroyer. The BK5 cannon, derived from a now outdated anti-tank weapon, allowed the 410s to shoot at their targets from over 1,000 yards, a distance at which the bombers' guns were useless for defense. The low rate of fire and limited ammunition supply together with the extra weight of the large gun made the other anti-bomber versions of Me 410, especially those with extra MG 151/20mm cannon, much more useful. The Me 410A-3 was later modified from the A-1/U1 with a deeper fuselage for additional cameras and fuel. The 410A-3 entered service in small numbers in early 1944, and equipped three long-range reconnaissance Staffeln (one on the Western Front and the other two on the Eastern Front).
The Me 410B-series was largely the same as the A-series, but replaced the 7.92 mm MG 17's with 13 mm MG 131. The use of the newer 1,900 hp (1.397 kW) DB 603G series engines with improved superchargers was planned but they were not available in numbers so many Me 410B used the DB603A. The DB603G would have increased the maximum speed to 392 mph (630 km/h), and cruising speed to 370 mph (595 km/h), although the weights increased once again. The versions were the same as with the A-series, the Me 410B-1, Me 410B-2 and Me 410B-3 filling the same roles as the earlier A-1, A-2 and A-3 versions.
Several experimental models were also developed. The Me 410B-5 added shackles under the fuselage to carry a torpedo, and removed the MG131s in the nose to make room for the FuG 200 Hohentwiel ship-search radar. The bomb bay was not used in this version in order to make room for a 650 litre fuel tank, and the defensive gun barbettes were replaced by another 700 litre fuel tank for long-range missions. The Me 410B-6 was a similar anti-shipping conversion, but intended for the short-range coastal role only. For this mission it did not use a torpedo, and was instead a simple modification of the B-1 with the FuG 200 radar. The Me 410B-8 was an updated B-3 reconnaissance model that was built in very small numbers.
The Me 410C was a high-altitude version drawn up in early 1944, with two new wings designs that increased span to 60 ft or 67 ft (18.25 m or 20.45 m). The larger wings allowed the gear to retract directly to the rear. A new universal engine mount would allow for the use of any of the DB 603JZ or BMW 801J turbocharged engines or the Jumo 213E three-speed mechanically supercharged engines, driving a new four-bladed propeller with very wide blades. The 801 was air-cooled and the 213 used an annular radiator in the nose, so the normal under-wing radiators were removed and the DB powered versions would use the radiator from the 213's. None were ever built, as Me 410 production was cancelled before the engines matured.
The Me 410D was a simpler upgrade to the B-series to improve altitude performance, but not to the same degree as the C-series. It would be powered by the DB 603JZ engines, and had a revised forward fuselage to increase the field of view of the pilot reduce drag. It also replaced portions of the outer wing panels with ones made of wood to conserve strategic materials. Several were built, but like many other attempts at wood construction, the loss of the Tegofilm factory in a bombing raid meant the adhesives available were not strong enough, and the wooden portions failed.
Production was eventually cancelled to concentrate on Messerschmitt Bf 109Gs in August 1944, after 1,160 Me 410s had been built.
Operators
- Germany, Hungary,
| Related content | |
|---|---|
| Related Development | Me 210 - Me 310 |
| Similar Aircraft | Me 110 |
| Designation Series | Ar 396 - Ta 400 - Me 409 - Me 410 - Do 417 - He 419 - zMe 423 |
| Related Lists | List of military aircraft of Germany |
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